Sumter – Gray Collegiate Academy has been the talk of AA football all season, but not necessarily for what it has done on the field. That’s because the War Eagles couldn’t get on the field, at least in Region 4-AA.
GCA’s fellow Region 4 foes refused to play against the charter school because of what they perceived to be competitive imbalance.
Gray Collegiate played several games against out-of-state competition to fill the void, but it finally got to play an instate team in the first round of the AA state playoffs last week. The Eagles beat Pelion 62-0.
Let’s see who GCA has next along with the other seven second-round matchups.
(3) Newberry (6-5) at (1) Abbeville (10-1)
Abbeville is the defending state champion and has been a dominating force in AA for decades. Newberry came away with a 24-15 victory over Saluda in the first round.
The Panthers shouldn’t have much trouble in moving on to the third round.
Winner: Abbeville
(2) Silver Bluff (8-3) at (2) Fairfield Central (9-2)
This is a showdown of a dominating defense owned by Silver Bluff going up against Fairfield Central’s prolific offense led by quarterback Cameron McMillon.
The defense will be the victor this time.
Winner: Silver Bluff
(4) Keenan at (1) Strom Thurmond
Keenan went on the road in the first round to beat an 8-2 Ninety Six team. It will get another 2-loss team in Strom Thurmond, which rolled over Landrum in the first round.
Winner: Strom Thurmond
(4) Chesnee (6-5) at (1) Gray Collegiate (12-2)
Chesnee advanced to the second round with a 21-10 win over fellow 5-5 team Batesburg-Leesville. This group of Eagles will be hard-pressed to keep up with the War Eagles.
Winner: Gray Collegiate
Lower State
(3) Kingstree (5-6) at (1) Andrew Jackson (8-3)
Kingstree picked up its first playoff victory since 2013 with a 14-12 triumph over Timberland. The Blazers did so against a team that depends on a stout defense and an offense that gets enough points.
Kingstree will have a greater challenge this week in Andrew Jackson. The Volunteers are on a 6-game winning streak and have a strong offense.
Winner: Andrew Jackson
(2) Andrews (8-3) at (1) Hampton County (10-1)
Hampton County has had a tremendous season with a 10-1 record. The Hurricanes’ only loss came to AAA region champion Brookland-Cayce by a 28-14 count.
` Hampton County has only allowed 90 points. Andrews depends on a running game that has allowed it to score 426 points.
The Hurricanes should be too much for the Yellow Jackets.
Winner: Hampton County
(3) Woodland (9-2) at (1) Oceanside Collegiate (8-2)
While both teams own 8-2 records, Oceanside Collegiate Academy has been the more dominant team. The Landsharks’ two losses have been to defending AAAA state champion and currently unbeaten South Florence and AAAAA Sumter.
Woodland finished third in Region 6 and beat Cheraw 34-33 in the first round.
Winner: Oceanside Collegiate
(2) Barnwell (7-4) at (1) Marion (10-1)
Marion got over the hump of losses in the first round the past two seasons with a 48-0 win over Central. The Swamp Foxes have plenty of weapons all over the field.
Barnwell will present a stiff challenge. The Warhorses, who handed Marion the first-round loss in 2021, always seem to be playing their best football at playoff time.
Winner: Marion
If these predictions hold up, this is what the third-round matchups will look like: Silver Bluff at Abbeville, Strom Thurmond at Gray Collegiate, Andrew Jackson at Hampton County and Oceanside Collegiate at Marion.
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